Have you also been told to have a TURBT surgery? (Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor) - Let's talk about this simply!

Does your doctor suspect that you or someone close to you has bladder cancer? Or, has it been confirmed and you have been told that you need to have a surgery called 'TURBT'? You may feel a little scared when you hear this name. But it is actually a very common and safe treatment for bladder cancer. So, don't worry. Let's talk about what this TURBT surgery is, how it is done, and how to cope with it in a simple and clear way.

Simply put, what is TURBT?

The full meaning of TURBT is Transurethral Resection of Bladder Tumor . It's a long name, isn't it? But it's very simple. It's a procedure that does two things at once. That is, it can diagnose bladder cancer, and it can also remove and treat the cancer.

Imagine, the doctor performs this surgery without making any incisions in your body. How does that happen?

They use a long, thin, flexible tube called a resectoscope. This instrument is inserted into your urethra, the tube that carries urine from your bladder to your body. At the end of this instrument is a small camera, a light, and a small loop that can be used to cut and remove the cancer. The doctor carefully removes the cancer while watching the images from this camera on a monitor in the operating room.

The doctor can find out some very important information from this surgery.

• What type of cancer is it?
• What is the grade of the cancer? (Is it low-risk or high-risk?)
• How deep the cancer has spread into the bladder wall (stage).

Sometimes, it is possible to remove the entire cancerous tumor with this single surgery.

What happens before and during the surgery?

This is usually an outpatient procedure. This means that most people are admitted to the hospital in the morning and can go home the same evening after surgery.

This is how to prepare before surgery:

You will meet with your doctor or have a video call about a week before your surgery. They will decide on the type of anesthesia you will be given. You may also be asked to provide a urine sample.

Before the surgery, your doctor or hospital staff will give you some instructions that you must follow. It is very important to follow these instructions exactly.

During the surgery...

The surgery will begin after you are anesthetized. Most of the time, you will be put to sleep (general anesthesia). Sometimes, you will be numbed from the waist down (spinal anesthesia). However, you will not feel any pain .

The next steps are:

1. The doctor will carefully insert the resectoscope into your bladder through your urethra.

2. Looking at the images from the camera, they find the areas where the cancerous tumors are.

3. Next, use the loop on the device to cut and remove the nuts.

4. If bleeding occurs from the site where the tumor was removed, the blood vessels will be cauterized to stop the bleeding.

5. Finally, a catheter may be inserted to drain urine and blood from the bladder and to prevent blood clots.

The surgery usually takes between 15 and 90 minutes , depending on the size, number, and location of the tumors.

What to expect after surgery?

After the surgery, you will need to stay in the hospital for a few hours. You may also need to stay overnight.

Recovery and symptoms

• Pain: You may feel a slight burning or pain when urinating for a few days to two weeks after surgery. This is normal.
• Urine color: Your urine may turn pink due to blood remaining in the bladder. Don't be alarmed by this. It's normal.
• Catheter: If your doctor has inserted a catheter, it will be removed once your urine stops bleeding. It may be removed in the hospital, or you may need to keep it at home for a few days.
• Other symptoms: Urgency and frequency of urination are common during the first 48 days.

The best way to reduce these symptoms and recover quickly is to drink plenty of water throughout the day .

The bladder usually heals within 2 to 4 weeks. If you still have pain, burning, or blood in your urine after that time, be sure to let your doctor know.

Will additional treatment be needed?

Sometimes TURBT can remove the entire tumor. However, your doctor may recommend chemotherapy to kill any remaining cancer cells and reduce the risk of the cancer coming back.

If the cancer is confined to the bladder, treatment is called `intravesical chemotherapy`. This means that a liquid chemotherapy drug is put inside the bladder, left in for a while, and then taken out again. This can sometimes be done at the same time as the TURBT surgery.

Are there any risks to this surgery?

TURBT is a very safe and successful procedure . The risk of complications is less than 10%. However, there are a few things that can happen very rarely:

• Uncontrollable bleeding: This is very rare. If it happens, you may need another surgery to stop the bleeding.
• Bladder perforation: During surgery, the instrument may become lodged in the bladder wall, causing a small hole. This is also very rare and can be treated.
• Infections: There is a small chance of developing a urinary tract infection after surgery. This can be easily treated with medication.

What is the trend of recovery from cancer?

This is a question that many people have. Although TURBT is a procedure that almost everyone does, the chance of a complete cure for cancer depends on the stage of the cancer. Doctors usually talk about the "five-year survival rate." This means that out of 100 patients with a certain stage of cancer, how many are still alive after 5 years. This does not mean that they will die in 5 years. This is just a statistic.

Don't be alarmed by these statistics. The earlier cancer is detected, the better the chance of cure . That's why it's important to seek medical advice as soon as symptoms appear.

TURBT, bladder cancer, bladder cancer, transurethral resection, urology, cancer surgery, urinary diseases